CPI-M planning to contest 3 Parliament and 24 Assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh: V. Srinivasa Rao

CPI-M to contest 3 Parliament, 24 Assembly seats in 2024 General Elections in AP if no alliance formed; Gajuwaka, Visakhapatnam-West, Pendurthi, Palakonda, Kurupam among 24 selected Assembly seats.

CPI-M State Secretary V. Srinivasa Rao said that the party was planning to contest three Parliament seats and 24 Assembly seats in the ensuing General Elections in 2024 if there was no alliance with like-minded parties in Andhra Pradesh. He said that the party had already put special focus on three selected Parliament seats such as Araku, Nellore and Kurnool where the CPI-M had a strong presence and network at the grass route level.

In an exclusive interview with The Hindu in Srikakulam on October 19, Mr. Srinivasa Rao said that Gajuwaka, Visakhapatnam-West, Pendurthi, Palakonda and Kurupam constituencies of North Andhra region were among the 24 selected Assembly seats in the State.

“As per the directives and guidelines of the Central leadership, CPI-M will not have any alliance with the parties which have association and electoral tie-up with BJP. We will join hands with non-BJP-associated parties and alliances if they approach us for seat sharing in the 2024 general elections. Otherwise, we will contest in selected Parliament and Assembly seats on our own,” said Mr. Srinivasa Rao.

According to him, the party will take bus yatra from Seethampeta of Parvathipuram-Manyam district from October 21 to highlight the issues and failures of the YSRCP government in the last four years. “Apart from bus yatra, we are planning to hold public meetings in Mandasa, Adoni, Kurnool and other places over the grievances of farmers, workers and other sections of the society,” he added. 

He charged that no section of the society was happy with the government which could not concentrate on irrigation, developmental activities and promotion of industrialisation since May 2019. Mr. Srinivasa Rao feared that more people from the North Andhra region would migrate to other States if their livelihood opportunities were bleak in future too.